We don’t know if you’ve been aware of the rise of numerous people and Twitter bots advocating for us to drink water every single day. Out of every mass cultural phenomenon, the clamor for more people to drink water has never been this resonant since, well, forever.
Why Should You Drink Water Every Day?
This is a dumb question, but it’s something that we tend to forget as we face the throes of everyday life. “I’m too busy going to and fro from meetings, all I need is coffee or an energy drink,” some might say. While coffee and energy drinks help in boosting your adrenaline for the workday, it’s not the end all be all when it comes to nurturing your body with the right volume of hydration.
According to Dr. Pamila Brar (via Lifehacker), Men should drink about 3 liters (13 cups) of water/fluids a day. For women, 2.2 liters (9 cups) per day.
Drinking only a few glasses to get by the day isn’t the ideal amount of water that one should consume. Water is essential in making sure that you are well-lubricated internally, regulating your body temperature, cleaning up waste from your body, and so on. That’s why water is called the “elixir of life.” You can go for half a month without eating; but if you try to live without drinking a single drop of water, you’ll be dead in three days.
If that’s a thought scary enough for you, by now you’ve already realized the importance of downing a few glasses of water every day. That said, here are effective ways to trick your brain into drinking more water every day.
Make It an Inconspicuous Part of Your Daily Routine
A daily routine makes a good habit. If you’re already practicing this, it’s good to add drinking water to it. Before eating breakfast, you can drink water the moment you wake up. Natural Choice blog recommends the practice of hiding it in your daily routine to make things more systematic. “Get in the habit of drinking a glass of water right after you get out of the shower, or right before you wash your face at night,” the blog writes. “This is an easy way to add at least two glasses of water a day to your routine.”
This is easier said than done, so plan ways on how you can be reminded to do so every day. Have a glass of water on your bedside table so that when you wake up, it’s the first thing you reach for and not your phone. You can also set reminders on your phone to make it more recurrent.
Put Water in a Bottle That You Personally Like
It’s good to invest in a water bottle, especially those pricey ones. It’s not that you’re making a statement with your water drinking habit; it’s more for the durability and content that it can carry. SparkPeople recommends getting the most high-quality water bottle you can find and tagging it inspirational stickers or notes so you’re more inclined to take a sip every now and then. You can even take things up a notch by labeling it with specific times that you would want your water to be consumed. “Splurge on the perfect reusable water bottle. Whether it’s your favorite color or a unique design, the more you bond with your bottle, the less likely you’ll be to lose it,” SparkPeople writes.
Push Yourself to Compete… With Yourself!
If having the perfect-looking water bottle doesn’t do the trick, it might be time to take things a little further on the extremes. Now is the time to get competitive! There’s nothing like the thrill of beating your own personal records. You can use the same mindset to trick yourself into drinking water! Competition is a good motivation for some people, and you can use it to your advantage if you want to drink more water.
Tri-Sport Girl blog suggests a nifty way to compete with yourself when it comes to drinking water, and that’s to race yourself. Runners are perfect at racing themselves (well, duh). Today they’re doing 5k. Tomorrow, they add in a bit more to it. You can apply the same concept to drinking water by challenging yourself to a race of how soon you can finish that liter of water before 10 AM. But do make sure that you are not finishing this race before the timer ticks. It’s still wise to spread it out throughout the day so you’re well-hydrated.
Spice Things Up By Adding a Few Extras
Sometimes, water loses its appeal if it’s just in a boring glass or bottle. To make you want to drink it more, you can try to go fancy by adding in some fruit or cucumber slices to have it taste better. Not only will it entice you to drink, but it also looks fancy enough for you to try it out. And going back to our second point, accessorize your water bottle so drinking water becomes a better experience for you.